Gardaí investigating attempted car hijacking in Leitrim

Gardaí are investigating a road traffic incident at a commercial premises on the Boyle Road in Carrick-on-Shannon on Friday, 29th November 2024. The collision, involving two cars, occurred at approximately 5:40 a.m. It is reported that following the crash, there was an attempted unlawful taking of a vehicle.

An individual who was targeted in the attempted car hijacking in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, described the terrifying moments they faced after being confronted by a gang of four men.

Speaking to Ocean FM’s North West, the victim explained that the ordeal began early on Friday morning at a filling station on Boyle Road. 

“A white Audi pulled in to get diesel, and then a black Vauxhall Vectra followed shortly after,” they explained. “The occupant of the Vectra asked the other person to put a tenner of diesel into their car, but they refused. The person then approached me to ask if the machine took cash.”

The situation quickly escalated when the other individual realized something was wrong and began filming.

“The occupant of the other car seemed to have sensed something was off and took their phone out to film,” they recalled. “The suspects must have seen him filming, and they spun out onto the road and came back in.”

The suspects returned, now armed with metal bars.

“They approached me again, thinking I was still filling my car with diesel, and attempted to take the drums off me, but I managed to get them into my car,” they said.

The situation worsened when the gang rammed another vehicle. “The other car was moving through the pumps when they turned and collided with it head-on,” they described.

Four men then exited the Vectra and chased the other individual. “Three men chased the person down the back of the filling station with bars, while another searched my car for valuables,” they said.

The situation became more intense when the individual fled. “I saw the suspects crash into the other car and knew I had to escape. I pulled the keys from my car and ran behind the filling station, with two of them following me with bars.”

The individual then described how they managed to escape. “One of the suspects searched my car while another tried to catch me on the other side, but I managed to get away and reached the height and ran onto the Boyle Road,” they said.

The other person involved in the incident was able to get help. “The man whose car was rammed drove onto the road and flagged down a lorry driver, who then contacted Gardaí,” the individual explained.

The experience left the victim shaken. “It was a very frightening experience. I’m not myself right now. I’m very nervous. I'm on medication and I've been to the doctor since for the stress this has caused me. An innocent person just going about their business, and to be attacked like this...” he said. “It's lucky there wasn't a woman there.”

The victim said he thought the criminals had Dublin accents, and he was certain they were not local men. He said they were driving a Laois car, and that after they fled there he saw there was drink in the back of their car, and rollies for joints. 

They also offered a warning to others: “Be very careful. There are gangs going around now, especially with Christmas approaching. Hopefully, this is a one-off incident in Carrick-on-Shannon, but we can’t be sure.”

A Garda statement confirmed that no injuries were reported and that no arrests have been made at this time. Gardaí are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact them in Carrick-on-Shannon at 071 965 0517, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.